Super Simple Vegan Meals for People Who Hate Cooking

Ever since the start of the shelter-in-place, people seem to be trying their hand at making labor-intensive sourdough from scratch. While this may pass the time and be therapeutic for some, cooking isn’t necessarily an enjoyable activity for everyone. Making vegan meals that taste great doesn’t have to be a time-consuming activity.

Here are three quick recipes for people who want easy, yet delicious vegan meals. Each recipe is made to utilize the same core ingredients and yield one serving. 

Breakfast: Turkish Eggs

Spice up your standard eggs and toast with this Turkish egg recipe that’s ready to eat in ten minutes.

You’ll need

• 1 serving egg substitute (recommended: Just egg plant-based scramble)
• 1 Slice of Vegan Bread (recommended: Ezekiel Bread)
• Chili oil (Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch)
• 1 Avocado
• 2 tablespoons of vegan feta cheese

To make the eggs

1. Start by coating your pan with an even layer of chili oil over medium heat.
2. Cook your egg substitute as directed on the package, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. While the eggs are cooking, toast the bread.
4. Next, place the eggs over the toast, top with feta cheese, and sliced avocado.

Related Article: Our Top 5 Plant-Based Comfort Foods

Lunch: Roasted Squash Kale Salad

This salad is very simple but incorporates unexpected flavors an easy prep vegan meal.

You’ll need

• 1 bunch of Lacinato kale, roughly chopped
• ½ cup of cooked quinoa
• ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup of vegan parmesan cheese
• 1 squash roasted (We use kabocha squash, but you can use your favorite butternut, acorn, etc.)
• salt
• pepper
• the juice from 1 ½ lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed with the back of a knife)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• and  ¼ cup of olive oil

To make the salad

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
2. Chop the squash into slices, transfer to a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, roast squash for 15 minutes.
4. Flip and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
5. While the squash is in the oven, chop the kale and transfer to a bowl, add the pomegranate seeds, cheese, cooked quinoa and set aside.
6. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.
7. Once your squash has cooled, add it to the bowl of kale and follow it with the lemon dressing, toss and enjoy.   

Related Article: The Top 10 Plant-Based Delivery Services

Dinner: Marinara Over Penne With A Kick

Craving a hearty Italian dinner but don’t have the patience to spend hours in the kitchen? Look no further – this penne and marinara dish will do the trick in record time.

You’ll need

• Your favorite vegan whole wheat pasta
• A jar of store-bought marinara sauce (We highly recommend Rao’s Marinara)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 shallot diced
• ½ green pepper diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon of chili oil
• 2 tablespoons of vegan parmesan

To make the pasta

1. Chop the shallots, green peppers, mince the garlic and set aside.
2. In a saucepot, add the olive oil over medium-low heat, then add the garlic and shallots.
3. After 1-2 minutes, add the green pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Next, boil a pot of water and cook your pasta according to the instructions.
5. While your pasta is cooking, turn your saucepot to low heat and add the jar of marinara sauce, let simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the cooked pasta to a bowl, top with sauce and parmesan cheese.